GARDENS AND CASTLES: BARBED-WIRE FAITH

Monday, February 6, 2012

BARBED-WIRE FAITH

Hi there! I hope all of you are doing well and can receive a bit more faith after your allowing me to share this with you.

RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT X UKN

I was sitting in my chair where I do my reading (and my watercolours,at times) and I turned to II Cor. 4 and my eyes fell on the 8th verse and it really spoke to me. There are a lot of people out there that feel like what Paul was saying, and there are many times in my life that I have definitely felt that way. Here is what Paul said:(I use the Amplified version because it expounds on all the Greek and Hebrew meanings of the words given).

"We are hedged in

pressed in every side

(troubled and oppressed in

EVERY way),

BUT NOT

cramped

crushed.

We suffer

embarrasements

and are

perplexed

and unable

to find

a way out.

BUT NOT

DRIVEN TO DESPAIR.

We are pursued,

persecuted,

and hard driven,

BUT NEVER

STAND ALONE.

We are struck down

to the ground,

BUT NEVER

STRUCK OUT

DESTROYED.

How could Paul say that, even after all that he had been through?

IN FACT

how can we

EVER

say that and mean it!??

There's only one answer and that is JESUS...

the kind of

FAITH in Jesus

that acts like

BARBED-WIRE

BARBED-WIRE FAITH

THAT

KEEPS THE ENEMY

OUT

AND

KEEPS THE ENEMY

FROM TOTALLY DESTROYING US;

Paul was fully aware that he needed that kind of faith, even in his DARKEST HOURS

-and there were many of them-

PAUL KNEW

because of his Faith in Jesus,

that even though troubles would come

he would make it through,

because he was serving Jesus,

and not serving

the enemy

that wants to

ROB KILL and DESTROY

all of our

HOPES

AND

DREAMS

AND MOST OF ALL

OUR FAITH.

As I was thinking about this, for whatever reason, I visualized those toothy daylilies with all their barbs and fangs and sharp edges. I was thinking that if they weren't such soft material they would be dangerous and would definitely hurt someone. That's when the term BARBED-WIRE FAITH came to me.

OH LORD,

MAY OUR FAITH BE AS

DISTINCT AND BEAUTIFUL

AS THE TOOTHIEST OF TOOTHY DAYLILIES;

WITH FANGS AND BARBS

TO KEEP OUT THE ENEMY.

MAY WE HAVE BARBED-WIRE FAITH

ENOUGH

TO RAISE THE FENCE EVEN HIGHER

THEN THE GIANTS

THAT BOMBARD OUR LIVES THAT

WILL

SEE IT,

AND

FEAR IT,

AND

GIVE UP ON

THOSE ATTACKS ON OUR LIVES.

AND LORD,

MAY YOU BE GLORIFIED AS WE WALK OUT THIS WALK OF FAITH.

THANK YOU FOR NEVER GIVING UP ON US

OR LEAVING US

OR FORSAKING US,

EVEN WHEN WE FAIL

TO LIVE UP TO EVERYTHING YOU WANT US TO BE

LORD, MAY YOU INCREASE OUR FAITH

SO THAT IT HAS ALL THE BARBS WE NEED

TO TAKE ON THE TASK OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE AGAINST THE ENEMY
OH LORD, MAY WE ALWAYS BE READY IN THIS WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN !

AMEN

"Prayer Vigil" (WESTBOURNE NIGHTLY PRAYERS X RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT)above and same cross on left "Prayer Vigil Too"

above left (BARBARA DITTMER X UKN) "Babbs" toothy tomato red, long bloomer

Cerise red "Big Sis" with one greenish tooth(an anomaly) couldn't resist sharing it. Sib to "Truth" (below towards end)
out of RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT

(COSMIC SENSATION X GOD SAVE THE QUEEN) above and to left and the two below

The two purples(one above and to left) are out of (COSMIC SENSATION X SEIZE THE NIGHT) two of my favorites! Two years to first bloom

DENTAL ACADEMY X HEARTBEAT OF HEAVEN above

seedling below (Grand Palais sdlg x Big Blue sdlg) "Toothprint"

closeup above of sdlg (MAJOR MITCHELL'S HEADDRESS X G G (DEBBIE'S VOWS G'CHILD)) and full pic below

THREE IN ONE (FOLLOW THE FASHION X STARTLE) an excellent parent

(RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT X SEIZE THE NIGHT) below

(TRULY ANGELIC X RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT) look for those horns, sparse but awesome!

ONLY TRUTH SETS YOU FREE

a RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT sdlg Registered 2012

("Truth" x COSMIC SENSATION)

(WESTBOURNE NIGHTLY PRAYERS X RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT) the cross of most of these below and to the left

SO,FOR YOU WHO ARE STILL READING I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOU A NUMBER OF THE TOOTHY DAYLILIES FROM THIS LAST SUMMER 2011. YOU MIGHT NOTE THAT SOME HAVE ONLY A FEW, AND YET THE DAYLILY IS STILL VERY PRETTY AND COMPLETE...

..MAY WE REALIZE THAT IN OUR WALK OF FAITH WE MAY NOT ALWAYS NEED A GIGANTIC AMOUNT OF BARBS TO DAMAGE THE ENEMY; MAY WE FIND OUT IN THIS WALK OF FAITH THAT WHEN WE STAND FIRM WE MAY NEED ONLY A FEW BARBS TO KEEP THE ENEMY OUT! OH LORD, MAY IT BE

(WESTBOURNE NIGHTLY PRAYERS X RUFFLED STRAWBERRY PARFAIT) parent of those below(a long cross, most are toothy offspring)